Kurt Vonnegut is one of our favorite authors and here’s one of our favorite quotes: Unusual travel plans are dancing lessons from God. — Kurt Vonnegut Cat’s Cradle is worth a read, so pick up a copy if you haven’t yet. Funny story about Cat’s Cradle: Vonnegut wrote it after giving up on grad school and abandoning his anthropology dissertation. After reading the novel, the University of Chicago gave him his diploma. […]

We recommended the movie 180° South to a couple friends the other day … and now they’re considering an extended trip and maybe even a drastic lifestyle change. We couldn’t be happier for them — if they move someplace exotic, it’s one more fun place for us to visit. Here are four of our favorite sources of travel inspiration. 180° south, @180south Definitely watch this movie if you feel a little […]

Edward Abbey is one of our favorite wilderness authors. He said this in Desert Solitaire: We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it. We need a refuge even though we may not ever need to go there. — Edward Abbey His point, kinda, is that mentally knowing you can escape is much better than accepting that you never will. He’s probably right, but even knowing that […]

It’s spring in Chicago which means storms, clouds, and dramatic skies. Lisa made the comment that on our trip, we could watch the sky all day. It’ll be wonderful. The day after our wedding, we headed to hill and watched the clouds fly by. It was wonderful. And I’m looking forward to doing that again. photo credit: the real Kam75 photo credit: thefixer

It’s been rough. We’re slowly getting ready to go, but we still don’t have a departure date set. Mentally, that’s difficult, because it feels like it’ll never happen. I’m coping by thinking of my daily commute as a mini trip. And thanks to not having to drive, it’s been a nice way to look at things. My commutes are relaxing … as long as the train isn’t too full. Here’s […]

NYT’s In Transit blog reports that the Alaska Ferry will now get us within 60 miles of Anchorage. $547 for the fare (at its cheapest) plus $130 for a two-berth room. We’ll do this either on the north leg or the south leg. And here’s why: photo credit: izik photo credit: supafly photo credit: Eddie Awad photo credit: supafly

Big Bend National Park is one of the least-visited national parks. All the more reason to visit. And for views like these: photo credit: sean_mcgee photo credit: sean_mcgee photo credit: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker photo credit: Tycho Moon

Last night I was trying to explain a concept to Paul that he ended up deeming Travel Nirvana – even though he didn’t completely understand it. Travel Nirvana is about expectations. But it’s also about a personal connection with a place. Because a personal connection sometimes has nothing to do with your expectations. It’s about feeling there. It’s about getting a place – understanding and knowing it on a personal […]

We’re slowly starting to share our plans. The universal reply so far has been: “I’ve always wanted to do that.” There’s usually a bit of silence then, followed quickly by a recommendation, tip, or travel idea … or all three. Here’s what we’ve heard so far: Dave recommended a Toyota “Spaceship” — seems like a sweet ride to me. I wonder if they sell those in Chicago. Amy shared […]

It’s time for now. Time to see things. Time to watch things. Time to go :::::: places. We’ll see you shortly. Here’s to now! This song is from the movie 180° South — a great documentary about a Patagonian adventure. Outside Magazine remarked: “It will make you quit your job.” They may have been right.